Motilal Banarsidass

Ramayana At A Glance

The world is the stage on which the Lord played the part of Rama as the ideal son, brother, husband, step-son, and king. The story of Rama and Sita is verily the story of humanity. Sita, Rama’s devoted consort, enacted the role of the dutiful, chaste wife who cared for nothing but her beloved Rama. Lakshmana was the perfect brother, and Bharata and Shatrughna were exemplary in their devotion to their step-brother, Rama.

The next main character, Hanuman, is the embodiment of a surrendered devotee the pinnacle of Bhakti Yoga. The ten-headed Ravana, who plays the antagonistic role, symbolizes our ten senses (5 senses of knowledge and 5 senses of action). During the war, Rama beheads Ravana, which is characteristic of a yogi conquering the senses.

The characters in the Ramayana relate to our own human drama. The Ramayana teaches us a way of life. It shows how to have pure love among family members and toward society and gives us a

method to control the ten senses and the mind for inner peace and spiritual bliss.

Singing the LordÍs name on the gross plane can bring us to the transcendental level where sound manifests as pure energy. The name and form disintegrate in Pure Consciousness and ultimate peace is experienced. Repetition of the Lord’s name in the form of japa or kirtan will bring the transcendental, blissful experience attained by the great devotees and saints like Bhakta Mira

Bai, Tukaram, and in the present time, Sri Sant Keshavadas, Santji has followed the tradition of our great saints and devotees of the past and has now brought the story of the Ramayana for 20th century man.